Love beyond the grave: Ill woman receives dead ex-boyfriend's final wishes
Theirs was a love story that defied the limits of time and space.
Last year, 22-year-old Hu Xinyao from Chongqing in southwestern China, had been fighting a vascular disease for seven years when she met Xiao, 26, through a mutual friend. According to the mainland media outlet Ziniu News, Xiao was an auxiliary police officer from Inner Mongolia. People knew him to be mild-mannered and kind.
Hu and Xiao quickly fell in love, with Xiao devoting his time to take care of Hu. They shared their dreams with each other—one of which was Hu’s wish to open a “home for patients.”
But as Hu’s disease progressed, she developed kidney failure. Soon, her condition further deteriorated. Doctors repeatedly made her aware of the critical nature of her illness.
Because of this, Hu made the heartbreaking decision to break up with Xiao after only two months.
“I can’t provide him with a family. Being with me would only hold him back,” she said.
Facing life solo can be tough, and Hu did it with a life-threatening disease. To cover her monthly medical bills, Hu took out loans and solicited donations from friends and strangers. She also sold fruit juice and wrote web novels.
A message from the grave
On Aug. 31, Hu received something unexpected: a letter and ¥50,000 from Xiao, hand-delivered by his friend.
Xiao had died of acute pancreatitis, his friend said. But there was more: It turned out that even after they broke it off, he kept track of Hu from far away, respecting her wishes to set him free.
He anonymously financed part of Hu’s monthly treatments. And arranged it so that after his death, his life savings would be sent to Hu.
In his letter, Xiao described the two months they were together as “the most precious and joyful time” of his life. “I have given you all my savings to support your dream,” Xiao continued, referring to Hu’s dream of putting up a home for patients. “I hope this small place can assist more patients and save more lives.”
Xiao also started following Hu on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, where she once uploaded a wistful wedding video of herself, thinking it would never happen in real life.
“I secretly watched the video of you in your wedding dress at least 50 times,” Xiao confessed in his letter. “You looked so beautiful. I couldn’t help but cry as I watched. Honestly, I wished I could have been there to offer my blessings.”
He concluded his letter with a request and a promise.
“No matter how challenging it becomes, please continue and experience life for me,” Xiao wrote. “If there is an afterlife, I want to meet you again. This time, I will stay by your side far longer.”
Eternal love
The effect of Xiao’s dying wish on Hu was profound.
“I used to not believe in love, but now I do,” she said, admitting that reading Xiao’s letter made her tremble with emotion, moving her to tears.
Soon after, Hu reached out to Xiao’s parents to return his money, but they quietly refused. They wanted to honor their son’s final wishes, they said.
Today, Hu’s dream, built by Xiao’s love and foresight, is soon to become a reality. Hu is currently purchasing medical equipment, using Xiao’s savings, and looking for a space to lease for the home for patients. Her goal is to open in October.
She has grown close to Xiao’s parents, too.
“Now, I consider his parents my own,” Hu said. “As long as I live, I will care for them to the best of my ability.”
